When to prune hydrangeas for beautiful blooms in spring and summer

are incredibly popular among Brits, often creating colourful and vibrant displays that define rural landscapes across the nation.

The most common hydrangea varieties in the UK are lacecaps and mopheads. Mopheads are distinguished by their large, rounded clusters of petals, while lacecaps feature smaller flowers at the centre of the bloom, surrounded by a ring of larger petals.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) experts explained: “Most is in late or early spring. However, climbing hydrangeas are pruned after flowering in the summer.”

Timing is of outmost importance, as pruning at the wrong time can risk removing next year’s flower buds.

In some milder regions, the spent on mophead hydrangeas can be trimmed once their colour fades, but it’s generally recommended to leave them through the months.

This practice provides frost protection for the “tender growth” buds beneath the faded blooms, according to the RHS.

They advised: “Remove the dead flowerheads in early spring, cutting back the stem to the first strong, healthy pair of buds from the faded bloom.”

Lacecap hydrangeas, being more resilient, can have their old flowerheads pruned back after flowering; this helps prevent seed formation, which drains the plant’s energy.

For well-established hydrangeas, it’s suggested that gardeners remove one or two of the oldest stems at the base to encourage fresh growth, which will yield more flowers.

In cases of overgrown plants, a full renovation can be done by cutting all the stems to the base, although this will result in no blooms that summer, with new growth only flowering the following year.

In the spring, if any frost damage is evident, experts recommend cutting back the affected shoots just above the first undamaged buds on healthy wood. Experts noted that it’s also important to remove any weak or spindly stems.

Other plants to prune in January include roses, fruit bushes, and wisteria.